Mastering Twilio SMS: A Beginner’s Guide to Node.js Messaging for Business

Welcome to "Mastering Twilio SMS: A Beginner’s Guide to Node.js Messaging for Business"! This guide is designed to walk you through the basics of sending and receiving SMS using the Twilio API and Node.js. Whether you're an absolute beginner or looking to elevate your business communication methods, this guide has you covered.

Sign up for Twilio and Get a Twilio Phone Number

1. Sign up for a free Twilio trial account: Twilio Sign Up
2. Verify Your Phone Number - This allows you to send test messages to your phone during trial mode.
3. Access Your Dashboard - Navigate to the Twilio Console where you can find your Account SID, Auth Token, and purchase an SMS-capable Twilio phone number.

Purchase a Twilio Phone Number

Navigate to the Buy a Number page, check the SMS box, and click on Search.

Select a number and click Buy to add it to your account.

Install Node.js and the Twilio Module

Install Node.js

Check if you already have Node.js installed:

node --version

If you don't have Node.js, download and install it from nodejs.org.

Install the Twilio Node.js Module

Install the Twilio helper library using npm:

npm install twilio

Send an Outbound SMS Message with Node.js

Create a new file named send_sms.js and add the following code:

// Download the helper library from https://www.twilio.com/docs/node/install
// Find your Account SID and Auth Token at twilio.com/console
const accountSid = process.env.TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID;
const authToken = process.env.TWILIO_AUTH_TOKEN;
const client = require('twilio')(accountSid, authToken);
 
client.messages
  .create({
     body: 'This is the ship that made the Kessel Run in fourteen parsecs?',
     from: '+15017122661',
     to: '+15558675310'
   })
  .then(message => console.log(message.sid));

Replace the Placeholder Credential Values

Replace accountSid and authToken with your Twilio credentials. Find these on your Twilio Console.

const accountSid = 'your_account_sid';
const authToken = 'your_auth_token';

Replace the "from" and "to" Phone Numbers

Replace the from number with your Twilio phone number and the to number with your mobile phone number.

Run the script:

node send_sms.js

Business Use Case: Appointment Reminders

Sending SMS reminders to customers about their upcoming appointments can significantly reduce no-shows and improve customer satisfaction.

Receive and Reply to Inbound SMS Messages with Express

Install Express

Install Express using npm:

npm install express

Create a server.js file and add the following code:

const express = require('express');
const { MessagingResponse } = require('twilio').twiml;
 
const app = express();
 
app.post('/sms', (req, res) => {
  const twiml = new MessagingResponse();
  twiml.message('Thank you for your message. We will get back to you shortly.');
  res.type('text/xml').send(twiml.toString());
});
 
app.listen(3000, () => {
  console.log('Express server listening on port 3000');
});

Run the server:

node server.js

Business Use Case: Customer Support

Set up automated responses to frequently asked questions and route complex queries to a support representative.

Install the Twilio CLI

Follow instructions for your OS to install the Twilio CLI.

macOS

brew tap twilio/brew && brew install twilio

Windows

Add the Twilio CLI Bucket:

scoop bucket add twilio-scoop https://github.com/twilio/scoop-twilio-cli

Install the app:

scoop install twilio

Linux

wget -qO- https://twilio-cli-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/twilio_pub.asc | sudo apt-key add -
sudo touch /etc/apt/sources.list.d/twilio.list
echo 'deb https://twilio-cli-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/apt/ /' | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/twilio.list
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y twilio

Configure Twilio CLI:

twilio login

Configure Your Webhook URL

Set up your webhook URL via CLI:

twilio phone-numbers:update "+15017122661" --sms-url="http://localhost:1337/sms"

Test Your Application

1. Run your server (node server.js) and the Twilio command in different terminal tabs.
2. Send an SMS from your mobile to your Twilio number.
3. You should see an HTTP request in your console, and get a response back as an SMS.

Business Use Case: Marketing Campaigns

Leverage SMS for sending promotional offers and discounts to your customers, driving engagement and sales.

Where to Next?

You now know the basics of using Twilio with Node.js! Here are more resources to deepen your knowledge:

• REST API Documentation
• TwiML Reference Docs
• Send a Text in Node in 30 Seconds with Twilio
• How to Receive and Respond to Text Messages with Node.js, Express and Twilio

Happy hacking!

Reference

Programmable Messaging Quickstart by Twilio Inc.